Cherokee Film hamburger

Cherokee Film Productions earns four Emmy Awards

TULSA, Okla. — The Heartland Regional Emmy Awards recently recognized Cherokee Film Production’s “Osiyo, Voices of the Cherokee People,” or OsiyoTV as it’s commonly known, with four additional Emmys.

The 2025 Heartland Regional Emmy Awards brings OsiyoTV’s total Emmy wins to 33, continuing the docuseries’ decade-long run as one of the most-awarded Native shows on television.

“We are thrilled to continue a legacy of award-winning storytelling through OsiyoTV,” said Jen Loren, executive producer and host. “Cherokee People have important stories to tell, and we appreciate the recognition from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, providing further evidence that no one can tell our stories as well as we can.”

This year, the tribe’s popular docuseries received 11 Emmy nominations in categories covering arts, entertainment, diversity, history, culture, youth, human interest, nostalgia, lifestyle and magazine program. OsiyoTV received its latest statuettes for stories aired during its ninth and 10th seasons, as well as its “Let’s Talk Cherokee” segment.

Since premiering in 2015, “Osiyo, Voices of the Cherokee People” has vibrantly featured hundreds of Cherokees from both past and present. The first-of-its-kind series, hosted and directed by Cherokee Nation citizen, filmmaker and Emmy-winning journalist Jen Loren, is breaking barriers and helping change how Native Americans are represented by bringing the rich traditions and compelling modern stories of the Cherokee people to viewers across the globe.

“We are excited to bring four additional Heartland Emmys back to the Cherokee Nation Reservation,” said Danielle Culp, senior manager for Cherokee Film Productions. “The OsiyoTV team is a group of dedicated filmmakers who are each grateful to the Cherokee People for trusting us to share our culture, history, language and more with the rest of the world.”

Cherokee Film includes four distinct branches — Cherokee Film Productions, Cherokee Film Studios, Cherokee Film Commission and Cherokee Film Institute — all working toward a shared goal of innovating narrative sovereignty while creating economic development within the tribe’s reservation. Cherokee Film Productions develops, produces, promotes and distributes a variety of original content, including the popular and award-winning OsiyoTV, in film, TV and other media that tells authentic Cherokee stories on behalf of the tribe, its people and its businesses.

Founded in 1947, the National Academy of Television Arts & Science and the Emmy Award recognize and celebrate the best in the television industry.

About Cherokee Nation

The Cherokee Nation is the federally recognized government of the Cherokee people and has inherent sovereign status recognized by treaty and law. The seat of tribal government is the W.W. Keeler Complex near Tahlequah, Oklahoma, the capital of the Cherokee Nation. With more than 460,000 citizens, 11,000 employees and a variety of tribal enterprises ranging from aerospace and defense contracts to entertainment venues, Cherokee Nation is one of the largest employers in northeastern Oklahoma and is the largest tribal nation in the United States.

To learn more, please visit www.cherokee.org.

Cherokee Film Production’s OsiyoTV recognized with four Heartland Regional Emmy Awards, bringing the show’s total wins to 33.

About Cherokee Film

The mission of Cherokee Film is to reclaim Cherokee and Native narratives by increasing representation across film and media while creating an ecosystem that supports production and drives economic activity in the Cherokee Nation.

Cherokee Film is owned by Cherokee Nation Businesses, the board-governed holding company of the largest Native American tribe in the U.S. One-hundred percent of the company’s profits support future business investments and the well-being of the tribe’s citizens through health care, education and job creation, ensuring better lives for Cherokees today and tomorrow.

For more information, please visit Cherokee.film or follow Cherokee Film on Facebook, X, YouTube and Instagram.

Related News
View All

Cherokee Film Productions announces feature documentary about Cherokee Freedmen

Cherokee Film Contributes to Authentic Indigenous Representation in New Ken Burns’ Docuseries

Cherokee Film showcases growing slate with fall premieres of incentive-supported titles

Media Contact

Whitney Dittman

Whitney.Dittman@cnbglobal.com

918.729.4495

Join Us
Be the First to Know

Sign up to receive the Monthly Montage and other Cherokee Film news straight to your inbox.

NEWSLETTER SIGNUP

Michael Musante

Film & TV Finance and Development Executive

Michael is the executive in charge of film and TV finance and development at Cherokee Film. Prior to that, he was vice president of film production and acquisitions at American Zoetrope for more than seven years and a co-founder, along with Roman Coppola, of The Decentralized Pictures Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to supporting independent filmmaking and filmmakers from underserved and underrepresented communities. He continues to serve on its board. He is an attorney, admitted to practice in New York and North Carolina, and received his Bachelor of Arts from Duke University and his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School in 2001. He practiced law for 10 years before becoming a full-time creative film producer. He has worked closely with such accomplished filmmakers as Roman Coppola, Sofia Coppola, Gia Coppola, Ted Kotcheff, Martha Coolidge, Fred Roos and Richard Chew before and during his time at American Zoetrope. During his tenure at American Zoetrope, he oversaw the development and production of several feature films: Gia Coppola’s “Mainstream,” starring Andrew Garfield, Maya Hawke, Nat Wolff and Jason Schwartzman; “Fairyland,” starring Emilia Jones and Scoot McNairy; as well as the production of “The Outsiders” musical, which debuted on Broadway at the Bernard Jacobs Theatre on April 11, 2024.

Todd Roberts

Soundstage Manager

Todd Roberts serves Cherokee Film as soundstage manager. He has more than 35 years of experience as a photographer and filmmaker. He is multi-passionate in skills and subject matter. He’s created more than 400 episodes of documentary-style television shows (“Doomsday Preppers,” “Man vs. Food Nation,” “Safari Hunter’s Journal,” “House Hunters International” and more) produced in 22 countries and airing nationally. Todd’s commercial films have served his clients well (American Express, Audi, Freightliner Trucks, Volkswagen, United Way, Walmart and many more). Todd’s productions have received numerous accolades (Addy Awards, Communicator Awards, Flame Awards, ITVA Awards, Summit Awards, Telly Awards, as well as awards from film festivals). While his skills and interests are broad, Todd’s overarching theme is the art of storytelling.

Maggie Cunningham

Pawnee Nation

Film Commissioner

Maggie Cunningham (Pawnee Nation) is a Regional Emmy-winning producer and the Cherokee Film Commissioner. Before joining the OsiyoTV team, Maggie worked in the museum and cultural heritage field. Her previous roles included positions as an archivist and tribal NAGPRA coordinator. She also spent time as a project manager for several Native-owned consultation and media production firms. She saw firsthand the impact an Indigenous narrative can have on a community during her time researching at Te Papa Tongarewa, the National Museum of Aotearoa (New Zealand). She continued to cultivate this focus in her years of cultural heritage work and storytelling. Her experience working within Native communities here in Oklahoma has only solidified her drive to tell authentic Native-led stories with the power and impact of film. Maggie holds a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College in studio art and Native American studies. She earned her Master of Arts from New York University. Maggie resides in Tulsa with her family.

Hannah Roark

Cherokee Nation

Film & TV Development Specialist

Hannah Roark holds a Master of Fine Arts in screenwriting from Florida State University’s College of Motion Picture Arts and graduated with highest distinction from the University of Kansas, where she earned her bachelor’s degree with honors in English. She joined the Cherokee Film team in July 2022. Her prior film production experience includes work as an office production assistant, director’s assistant, production coordinator and associate producer. When she’s not at work, Hannah is writing screenplays, TV pilots, or collaborating in writers’ groups. She believes that every good story can be a great one.